MEN FOR ODD JOBS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20702, 27 April 1929, Page 5

MEN FOR ODD JOBS.

RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT. A VICTORIAN SCHEME. (From Our n ws Correspondent.) SYDNEY, April 18. : Judging by the scraps of information that find .their way into the press of Australia from New Zealand the un employment problem in the Dominion is just as serious as; it is here. Consequently New Zealanders arc. bound' to display interest in any scheme calculated to bring about a measure of relief. A new plan which has just been put into practical shape in Melbourne seems to be working with every, success. Even Sydney is interested—and Sydney is not always interested in things that originate in Melbourne, The Melbourne scheme is worked through the Lord Mayor’s unemployment relief committee on which arc representatives of benevolent and charitable institutions, the Trades Hall, the Salvation Army, different .churches, Ton H and similar bodies. It has formed a section calletl tho “odd. jobs bureau.” ' It has branches in every district and suburb to enable unemployed men to register for employment in their own locality. The central committee has appointed a number'of employment scouts, who,, acting in conjunction with the central and local bureau, scout from house to house wirn the idea of securing odd jobs or permanent work for the men in their own district.' Unskilled labour is offered at 2s an hour, and skilled is offered at the rates provided in the awards. Operations covering 13 weeks show that in that time the committee secured 11,200 jobs,’ representing 20,500 days’ work, or a wage value of £18,300, at a total cost of £2OOO. But against the £2OOO expenditure were wages amounting to £ISOO paid to the employment scouts, who themselves were drawn from the ranks of the unemployed. Thus the committee was able to secure work worth £18,500 at an executive cost of £SOO. At the present time the bureau is securing jobs at the average rate of 1000 a month. ■ The committee docs not claim that the odd job bureau solves the unemployment problem. It is regarded merely as a palliative, but .as against the sustenance system it compels the individual to work instead of breaking- the mainspring of personal endeavour.

A member of the committee said that nothing gave the work such a setback as the backwash of a . strike. Immediately a strike commenced the bureau closed their hooks and refused to register any 1 ' more applicants for employment. Their, efforts were confined to securiu< r for genuine unemployed at least three days’ work a week,’ and enabling them to earn enough money to buy food for themselves and their families. He could say that 08 per .cent, of the unemployed-were genuine cases and in, many instances fine types of workers.